Arkansas Cancer Coalition

If you receive a phone call asking for donations, it is not the Arkansas Cancer Coalition! Please report those phone calls to the Arkansas Attorney General's office!
MINI GRANTS

Fiscal Year 2018 Awarded Grants

FY 2018 FALL: October 2 – December 15, 2017

Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House

Program: Transportation Assistance

Funding Amount: $1,000

Counties Served: All Counties, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Polk, Scott, and Sebastian

Estimated Number of Individuals to be Served: 20

ACP Focus Area: Survivorship

Summary of Grant: The cost of travel for cancer treatment can be overwhelming for rural Arkansans and especially for those traveling to our larger cities for specialized treatment. The Reynolds Cancer Support House will reduce the cancer patient’s financial burden by providing gas cards to the financially disadvantaged. It is well publicized that patients without financial support to help with transportation costs, often opt to forego treatment doses or chose less expensive, less effective treatment options which can be life threatening choices. Short-term financial assistance such as the provision of gas cards improves the likelihood that cancer patients will access and appropriately use treatment options. The Reynolds Cancer Support House will provide 100 gas cards to at least 20 cancer patients between October 2, 2017 and December 15, 2017.

The travel assistance program seeks to reduce the travel barriers that keep cancer patients from accessing quality care and complying with recommended treatment and follow up plans. The burden of cancer care is further increased by the additional cost of transportation and prescriptions and the reduction or loss of income during cancer treatment. Cancer fighters can spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on transportation costs alone.

In order to be eligible for the transportation assistance program, patients must meet financial eligibility requirements and currently be in cancer treatment. Patients are given a Valero gas card that is restricted to the purchase of fuel. Patients are required to return a receipt for their gas purchase before they are provided further travel assistance. Each application for assistance is evaluated and assistance is provided based on need and on the availability of gas cards. Factors considered in this determination include: household income, expenses, current treatment schedule and distance traveled to treatment.

Mississippi County, Arkansas Economic Opportunity Commission, Inc.

Program: Mississippi County, Rural Transportation Program

Funding Amount: $1,000

Counties Served: Mississippi

Estimated Number of Individuals to be Served: 50

ACP Focus Area: Survivorship

Summary of Grant: Mississippi County, Arkansas Economic Opportunity Commission (MCAEOC) is committed to alleviating poverty and assisting low-income individuals and families to secure knowledgeable skills, and opportunities to become self-sufficient and lead lives of dignity. Mississippi County, Arkansas E.O.C ., Inc. proposes to conduct the Mississippi County , Rural Transportation Program to reduce the burden of cancer and promote compliance to scheduled follow-up and treatment. MCAEOC will provide transportation assistance program activities that will assist with alleviating a significant barrier to treatment. Transportation facilitates the essential standard of care and allows patients to remove some stressors related to cancer care and treatment. Appointments, surgery and medical treatments can improve outcomes for patients, especially those that live in very rural areas and have limited incomes. MCAEOC helps to improve the cancer outcomes of patients dealing with their care.

MCAEOC will assess patients referred by the community, Faith-based organizations and wellness locations throughout the county and ensure compliance to recommendations. MCAEOC cancer mission is committed to helping reduce cancer health disparities in Mississippi County Arkansas. Reducing the barriers that residents must overcome is accessing high quality diagnostic and treatment services once they have positive results from cancer screening is crucial to cancer care. Most such patients have to seek treatment through regional health providers in Jonesboro, Memphis, or Little Rock. Navigating Access to treatment and sustaining treatment compliance in this situation can be a daunting take for many low and moderate income patients, especially those with less education or those living alone with few social supports. To respond to this need, MCAEOC will utilize the lay patient navigators in the partnering Faith-based organizations to assess patients needing fuel cards to reimburse for mileage incurred when seeking treatment and following-up to the most vulnerable patients.

White River Health Systems, Inc.

Program: Transportation Grant

Funding Amount: $1,000

Counties Served: Izard, Lawrence and Sharp

Estimated Number of Individuals to be Served: 20

ACP Focus Area: Breast Cancer

Summary of Grant: The GET YOUR MAMMOGRAM “GYM” Project began in 2007. As of March 2017, GYM has provided in excess of 3000 free services to more than 2600 women, detecting more than 20 cases of breast cancer. The GYM Project has been instrumental in upgrading two analog machines to digital (one through ACC funding). The White River Health System (WRHS) GYM Project offers women in nine rural NCA counties access to digital mammography in three locations (Independence, Sharp and Stone counties), centrally located radiation and chemotherapy services, transportation and medication assistance, cancer support group access, and breast cancer Patient Navigator and Breast Surgeon.

One of the most critical barriers for women seeking screening and follow up care is transportation. Many women will not seek a mammogram if the cost to travel competes with buying groceries. The ACC transportation grant would fund breast cancer patients traveling from the counties of Izard, Lawrence and Sharp counties for screening, diagnostics and support services. The GYM Project will assist 20 women in Izard, Lawrence, and Sharp Counties with transportation to either Stone, Sharp or Independence Counties for digital mammography.

The National Witness Project/Arkansas Witness Project

Program: The Witness Project – Patient Transportation Assistance Program

Funding Amount: $2,400

Counties Served: Arkansas, Bradley, Crittenden, Cross, Jefferson, Lee, Mississippi, Monroe, Ouachita, Phillips, Poinsett, Pulaski, St. Francis, and Woodruff

Estimated Number of Individuals to be Served: 40

ACP Focus Area: Survivorship

Summary of Grant:

The Witness Project is a culturally competent, community-based breast and cervical cancer education program designed to educate and increase mammography rates among African American (AA) and medically underserved women.. The Witness Project creates a direct path of assistance from education, screening, diagnosis, and treatment services with volunteers who serve as Lay Patient Navigators. Lay Patient Navigators are classified various ways; Role Models, Lay Health Advisors, Community Health Worker, etc., nonetheless, navigators assist patients and their families throughout the course of the healthcare system. The navigators serve as volunteers for the Witness Programs revealing their personal experiences including benefits of breast early detection.

The Witness Project will provide a state-wide training for the Witness Program volunteers in each of the 14 county catchment area. A lay health professional has been defined as someone, paid or voluntary, who carries out functions related to health care delivery; is trained in the context of an intervention; and has no formal professional or paraprofessional certificate. Additionally, lay navigators are often peers: individuals who come from a similar social context and are ethnically, culturally, linguistically, and/or socioeconomically similar to the population that is the focus of the education and navigation. From October to December 2017, the WP will promote lay patient navigation through education and partnership to conduct a Witness Program Lay Patient Navigator training for Witness Program volunteers in the targeted 14 counties and the WP will develop and implement a data collection plan that shows the value of patient navigation by evaluating three (3) educational programs in three (3) rural counties regarding breast health education and navigation services to 60 women.

Arkansas Cancer Institute

Program: ACI Patient Transportation Assistance Program

Funding Amount: $1,000

Counties Served: Arkansas, Ashley, Chicot, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Grant, Jefferson, and Lincoln

Estimated Number of Individuals to be Served: 100

Focus Area: Surveillance and Evaluation

Summary of Grant: The goal of the Arkansas Cancer Institute (ACI) is to provide access to medical care, and to ensure that all patients are provided appropriate treatment in a timely manner. The ACC Grant will allow our facility to distribute gas vouchers to our patients, who cannot afford traveling several days a week for treatment. This will also allow our facility to prevent and monitor chemotherapy/radiation therapy side effects that otherwise would go undetected, if the patient does not come to treatment due to lack of funds for transportation. The grant will relieve financial burden on families by making sure that all patients have access to treatments with the gas vouchers.

Arkansas Cancer Institute will utilize a spreadsheet to capture patient data each month to provide assistance through the gas cards. The eligibility will be determined by the appropriate care team and will be signed off by the overseeing physician. Each patient must provide specific need for gas card, as well as mileage to and from treatment facility. ACI will provide 100 gas vouchers to 100 cancer patients between September 15, 2017 and December 15, 2017.

My Sisters Keyper, Inc.

Program: Be In The Know Women’s Health Program

Funding Amount: $1,000

Counties Served: All Counties, Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Conway, Craighead, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Little River, Montgomery, Nevada, Pike, Randolph, St. Francis, and Sharp

Estimated Number of Individuals to be Served: 300

Focus Area: Breast Cancer

Summary of Grant: My Sisters Keyper, Inc. provides outreach services, education, direct financial assistance, patient navigation and resources to uninsured and underinsured women in the state of Arkansas. To reduce breast cancer mortality and late stage incidence rates, My Sisters Keyper, Inc., will provide transportation assistance to women in the state of Arkansas who are underserved. Through community partnerships, women will be referred to My Sisters Keyper, Inc., for transportation assistance for screenings, doctor appointments, and/or treatment. The patient navigator through outreach and education will ensure those women referred have access to quality and timely care. By December 15, 2017, My Sisters Keyper, Inc. will provide 40 ($25.00 increment) gas cards and/or vouchers to uninsured/underinsured Arkansas women for transportation to appointments for screenings, diagnostics services, and/or treatment.

The National Witness Project/Arkansas Witness Project

Program: The Witness Project – Patient Transportation Assistance Program

Funding Amount: $1,000

Counties Served: Arkansas, Bradley, Crittenden, Cross, Jefferson, Lee, Mississippi, Monroe, Ouachita, Phillips, Poinsett, Pulaski, St. Francis, and Woodruff

Estimated Number of Individuals to be Served: 40

ACP Focus Area: Survivorship

Summary of Grant: The Witness Project is committed to tackling the whole cancer continuum. Not only starting with education and awareness; it is imperative to provide access to services and recommended follow-up. The Witness Project transportation assistance program will provide a mechanism of support for women who need assistance in keeping scheduled appointments promoting better adherence to follow-up. From October to December 2017, the WP will assess and navigate 40 women living in the 14 county target area to provide access via fuel cards. Women will be navigated to services based on an assessment for eligibility.

Transportation barriers are often cited as barriers to healthcare access. Transportation barriers lead to rescheduled or missed appointments, delayed care, and missed or delayed medication use. These consequences may lead to poorer management of chronic illness and thus poorer health outcomes. Patients with barriers to transportation carry a greater burden based on the relationship between poverty and transportation. The Witness Project will work to eliminate these barriers and address the issue during the outreach and educational programs concluding with a recommendation for cancer diagnosis. Emergency room visits are triggered ultimately when barriers to early detection and treatment are prevalent. The objective is to eliminate missed appointments, rescheduled appointments, delayed medication fills, and changes in clinical outcomes.

Cancer is difficult. Getting help shouldn't be.

Imagine helping someone gain access to resources that reduce the struggle during a time of their life when so much is lost. Your donations connect people battling cancer with others ready and able to provide crucial assistance.